Wisconsin with a Tawni
by Cain
Summary: COMPLETE. Sonny invites Tawni home with her for Thanksgiving. FEMSLASH, but not graphic. Set after 'Be Mine'. Please Read & Review.
1. Prelude

**Author's Note:** A Thanksgiving treat! This will be a short fic, three-four chapters tops (I think, assuming I don't get carried away with myself), including this Prelude. I plan to only post once a week and only if I get reviews, naturally. This takes place after my other two Sonny/Tawni stories, though I'm not sure it's essential that you read them to know what's going on. But this could potentially be spoilery for either of them if you haven't, so there's a heads up. As usual, it's femslash, but not graphic and so not warranting an M rating. This is set roughly five months after _Be Mine_, which ended with Tawni's 18th birthday. Because I don't recall if her birthday is ever actually given in the show (or even if I gave her one in my fic, and I'm too lazy to check even that), we're going to say it was late June. June 27th, how about?

_**Wisconsin with a Tawni**_

_Prelude  
><em>

"I should have figured you wouldn't be able to handle Wisconsin," Sonny sighed loudly, leaning back on the dark leather sofa in Tawni's living room. "Too cold, too much cheese, too many polite people, too-"

"Please, Sonny, this little reverse psychology thing isn't going to work on me." Tawni interrupted, her attention focused on her reflection as she set about reapplying her makeup for the second time that morning, her girlfriend having made a mess of it by doing things that Tawni simply couldn't hold against her. The blonde was, after all, a big fan of morning sex, so when Sonny rolled out of bed and appeared behind her in the mirror, Tawni wasn't going to say 'no', even if she had just showered and finished getting all pretty...well, _prettier_.

"What?" Sonny feigned confusion. Twisting around on the couch and putting on her best doe-eyed innocent face. The blonde didn't turn to see it, though. Sonny pulled a blanket from the armrest and pulled it around her. Tawni's apartment had one wall that was almost entirely glass and she always found herself shivering as a result- of course, it did provide her with a solid excuse for getting the blonde back into the bedroom whenever they had sex, when in fact the truth of it was that Sonny was afraid some would be watching them if they did it in the living room or kitchen. The bedroom was far more private. That or the room Tawni was currently in, a second bedroom that she had had converted into a giant walk-in closet complete with her vanity. Or the shower, sometimes...Sonny's phoned mooed then, and glancing down to see her mother's name flash on the screen the brunette wondered how it was that every time her mind was drifting toward, or rolling in, the proverbial gutter, her mother seemed to sense it.

"I remember when you tricked Chad into dealing with us just by telling him he wasn't capable. And that's not going to cut it here. You know why? Because I don't care if you think I can't handle Wisconsin. I already went there when I drove you to your stupid cheese cannon thing and that was one trip too many."

"I'm not trying to trick you-"

Tawni tilted her head at the other girl, disbelieving. "I'm actually a little offended that you think I'm as dumb as Chad."

Sonny rolled her eyes. ""Just a second, my mom is calling."

"Is she ever_ not_ calling?"

"Well, she doesn't exactly like it when I stay over here."

Tawni didn't respond except to giggle smugly.

"Hey Mom. What's up?"

"Where are you?"

"At Tawni's, I told you I was going to crash here."

"Again? Sonny, do you think I'm stupid?"

"What? No. I just..."

"I know what you're doing."

Sonny blushed even though no one was around to see her.

"I'm sorry," Connie muttered. "I know I said I was OK with Tawni and I know you used to have Lucy over and while I pretended that was all innocent, I'm not really that naive. But for the millionth time, I really don't want you spending the night at her place all the time, Sonny. You live here, you sleep here."

"I sleep there all the time. I only stay over here once in awhile."

"Really? Once in awhile? You've spent 74 nights at her place in the last three months."

"What? How...? You've been keeping track?"

"That's not the point."

"That's insane!"

"You are sixteen years old and that is too young to be living in sin!"

"Ok, first off, I'm not living with Tawni, second I thought we all let go of the premarital sex thing awhile ago, and third, you've obviously been talking to Grandma."

"Yes, well..." Connie sighed. "That's true. I just got off the phone with her."

"And?"

"Well, I think she'll be spending Thanksgiving trying to 'save you'."

"She's done that the last few years, it's no big deal. She's from a different generation. I don't expect her to just be OK with it. It'd be nice, but it is what it is."

"See, this is what I'm talking about- the Sonny I know would want to try and enlighten her grandmother and help everyone to get along. All this time with Tawni is giving you this whole 'that's life, what can you do?' attitude."

"That's what you're talking about when? When have you ever talked about that?"

"Nevermind. Did you already invite Tawni? Because I'm thinking you maybe shouldn't. I mean, Grandma disliked Lucy enough when she decided that she'd 'corrupted' you and Tawni is so...different from our family. I just don't see how it could possibly go well."

"I'm not _uninviting_ her!" Sonny replied, a little louder than she intended.

"Seeing as I don't want to go, I promise not to be offended," Tawni chimed in at that point. She was only fifteen feet or so away from her girlfriend and since Connie had a tendency to yell into the phone when she talked so Tawni rather effortlessly overheard several snippets of their conversation.

"She doesn't even want to come? Well, _that's_ nice," Connie grumbled, taking offense even though she didn't want the blonde joining them anyway. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised..."

"We're still working out the details," Sonny insisted, glaring at the blonde in the other room, who was, of course, still not even looking.

"You know, Sonny, if she doesn't want to come, you shouldn't force her. I've always said you needed to ease up on the meddling."

"What? Two seconds ago you were all upset that I wasn't meddling enough!"

"Well, you aren't meddling where it really matters."

"If I bring Tawni along and introduce her to everyone, then Grandma and Uncle Louis will see that she isn't some demonic creature."

"I think you'd be better able to convince them of that without having them actually meet her. She does not make a good first impression, Sonny. If anything, she'll single-handedly convince them that all gay people are self-centered, slutty, vain, arrogant, two-faced little devils."

"All the better to seduce your daughter with," Tawni quipped loudly.

"Wait- did she hear me? Am I on speaker?"

"No, but you're talking _really_ loud."

"Oh, uh...sorry," Connie muttered.

"Uh huh," Sonny replied. "I'll be home in a little bit, alright?"

"OK. Bye," Connie relented.

"Sorry about that," Sonny looked back at Tawni. "She didn't mean-"

"Do you really think I care, Sonny?"

"No," she sighed. "So...come to Wisconsin?"

"Your mother doesn't want me to come, your family doesn't want me to come,_ I_ don't want me to come- which is obviously the most important opinion of all."

"But_ I_ want you to! You'll have fun and it will be...nice."

"You still haven't said one thing that is remotely convincing, sweetie."

"Well, can't you just agree to come out of the goodness of your heart?"

"I don't do anything out of the goodness of my heart," the blonde scoffed. "Who do you think I am? You?"

"It's Thanksgiving, Tawni. It's a time to be with family and friends and to, you know, give thanks. Nico's whole family is gathering in Sacramento, Grady's spending it with Mel's family, Zora's family is going to be in Denver. Marshall and his mother are going to New York. Charlie's got his cruise. Even Chad's going to visit family in Puerto Rico."

"I love that you actually believe Chad is going to Puerto Rico to visit _family_."

"What else would he be doing over Thanksgiving weekend?"

"My guess? Hot island boys."

Sonny frowned. "The point is you'll be all alone if you stay behind."

"You're worried I'll cheat on you, aren't you?" Tawni mused, her attention still focused on her reflection. "It's been like five months and you still don't trust me." Oddly, the blonde sounded more amused than offended by the notion.

"No," Sonny countered, getting to her feet and moving across the room, draping her arms around the blonde's neck from behind. "I trust you. I just want you to spend the holiday with you."

"So let's go to Paris or something then," Tawni suggested.

"Thanksgiving is an American holiday. Why would we leave the country to celebrate?"

"Charlie's cruise ship is going to be in the Mediterranean. That's not American."

"Yeah, but 90% of the passengers are and besides, that's not the point."

"We could go on the cruise if you are so set on showing your patriotism. The S.S. Tipton is supposed to be really high end. I've met London Tipton myself. She's beyond loaded. Dumber than Chad, Nico, and Grady, by a long shot, but still. I might even have her number, I bet we could get a last minute room..."

"Come with me to West Appleton, Tawni. I promise you'll have fun if you give it a chance. There's lots to do and, believe it or not, it doesn't all have to do with cheese. It'll only be a couple days anyway. We're leaving Wednesday morning and Marshall wants us all back by Saturday for work and you start filming Monday, right? That's not enough time to enjoy a cruise."

"But it _is_ enough time to do everything fun there is to do in Wisconsin? Wait, what am I saying? Of course it is. In fact, we'll probably run out of fun by Wednesday afternoon."

"No we won't, come on," Sonny begged, flicking her tongue against the back of Tawni's ear. "I will personally make sure you have tons of fun. Tons."

"If you're hinting at one of your FunGendas, I'll have you know that makes me want to go even less."

Sonny rolled her eyes.

"Besides, you said it was too cold. I don't like cold."

"I'll keep you warm."

"Well, unless you're planning on dragging me there for non-stop sex, which I doubt your mother or family would be too happy about, I'm going to have to wear a ski coat or something at some point- and they make me look boxy."

"You don't have anything else to do."

"I could shop."

"You can always shop. And there's shopping in Wisconsin."

"Ugh," Tawni fake-shuddered at the thought.

"Please?" Sonny asked, her hands dropping down and sliding up under the hem of the blonde's shirt.

"It's Wisconsin," Tawni stated, finding that reason enough in itself.

"Please?" Sonny repeated, pressing her lips against the blonde's throat.

"Now you're clearly cheating," Tawni murmured, feeling Sonny smile against her neck. Her green eyes watched their reflection intently, as Sonny pulled away and stood upright. The brunette smirked and pulled her own shirt up and off, over her head.

"I just know my audience," Sonny contended, pulling the blonde around to face her before straddling her.

"Nice of you to wait until after I finish fixing my make up to go for round two..."

"Round two is only going to happen if you come to Wisconsin with me for Thanksgiving."

"Sonny-" Tawni groaned, frowning, only to be cut off by Sonny's mouth on hers.

* * *

><p>Two days later,Tawni Hart was scowling out the window of an airplane as it soared over Los Angeles, her girlfriend tightly gripping her hand as though she was afraid the blonde would somehow still manage to escape. In spite of Tawni's persistent glowering and her mother frowning at them from across the aisle, Sonny couldn't help but be giddy with excitement for the holiday.<p> 


	2. Something Hovering

**Author's Note:** Ok, so, over a hundred visitors, and even more hits, and only _one_ of you could be bothered to leave a comment? I almost think the lot of you _enjoy_ reading my bitchy, whiny A/Ns. Well, big thanks to **LazehWritahGurl** since she was my one reviewer- and obviously since leaving a quick comment is such a painful process for y'all, it must have taken some real dedication on her part to make the effort. I've had this chapter complete for over a week and I'm just going to post it. The next one won't be written until I get three reviews because there's really no reason for me to waste my time without them. Chapter title comes from 'A Clockwise Witness' by DeVotchka.

_Part I: Something Hovering  
><em>

"It's fucking freezing!" Tawni hissed, trying to pull her coat tight with one hand while dragging her bedazzled pink luggage with the other. The ground was covered in snow and the wind was stinging her cheeks.

"It's only 25 degrees," Sonny shrugged at her, before catching sight of her father. "Hey!"

He greeted them with a large, toothy grin, not unlike Sonny's own distinctive smile, and opened his arms wide for a hug. "How are my two favorite ladies?"

"_Only 25 degrees_," Tawni mumbled to herself, fairly certain that LA never got that cold. "And you always complain my apartment is too cold. It's never this cold. Ever. This is insane."

"Tawni, this is my Dad," Sonny said, turning back to Tawni, who smiled weakly.

"The famous Tawni Hart, well, aren't you a pretty thing," he said. "Even prettier in person, I mean."

"Obviously," the blonde quipped, trying to keep her teeth from chattering.

"Modesty is her other shining quality," Connie said with an eye roll.

He nodded. "Well, I've heard a lot about you, Tawni, from both my girls here," he squeezed Sonny with one arm in a quick sideways hug. "Loved you on the show either way, though. Too bad you left."

"Can we talk about all this indoors?"

"Ah, the California girl can't handle a little chill?" he laughed. "Come on then." He opened the door to the car and Tawni clambered inside, followed by Sonny.

Once everyone was inside, and all the luggage in the trunk, Sonny's father turned back to Tawni. "Name's Rick."

The blonde nodded at him, half attempting to feign interest, but mostly too cold to care.

He turned his attention to getting them out of the terminal and fake-listening to his wife as she began to list all the things she had to do to get ready for the following day's festivities.

Sonny slipped an arm around Tawni and pulled her close. "It's not that cold. You know, one year they had to cancel school for a whole week because the temperatures got so slow it was considered too dangerous to have kids waiting at the bus stop."

Tawni glowered at her. "It's too cold for me. You said it would be and it is and I look boxy in this coat that I have to wear because of you."

"You look great," Sonny replied, kissing her on the cheek. "Besides, have you ever seen this much snow? It rarely happens in southern California."

"No, I haven't," Tawni admitted. "But it isn't worth me looking boxy."

Sonny chuckled. "You don't look boxy. You look fine."

"Besides, how can you say this isn't cold when you always complain about my apartment?"

"That's different," Sonny reasoned. "Indoor temperatures and outdoor temperatures are different. Your apartment is freezing."

"It's not 25 degrees!"

"I don't know why, but it feels different."

"That's ridiculous!"

"This conversation is ridiculous, let's talk about something else," Sonny offered. "What kind of dessert do you want to make?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I... it's a pretty straight-forward question, I'm not seeing where you're getting tripped up, Tawn."

"_I'm_ not baking anything, am I?"

"Yeah, we're going to bake a couple desserts tonight."

"Tawni Hart does not cook."

"But she will bake," Sonny countered with a grin. "It's easy and it'll be fun. So what's your favorite Thanksgiving dessert?"

"Sonny-"

"Come on, just trust me."

"I don't know. Something chocolatey, I guess," Tawni replied with resignation.

"Ok, any specific favorites?"

"We never really did Thanksgiving at my house, Sonny. So I'm not sure what are typical Thanksgiving foods. I know pumpkin pie is popular, but I don't really like it. And I don't really know what else counts."

"How did you never have Thanksgiving?" Rick asked, bewildered, eyeing them in the rear-view. "What kind of an American are you?"

"The kind who is _never_ thankful," Connie muttered.

"My Mom was always worried about us all getting fat and said Thanksgiving was just about eating, so we didn't do it."

"Almost all holidays are centered around eating," Rick laughed.

"Not when my family does them."

"So, wait, have you ever even had a Thanksgiving dinner?" Connie asked, turning around to look at them.

"I've had turkey and mashed potatoes before. Sometimes the commissary has it."

"Cafeteria food does not count," Sonny stated. "I can't believe you've never done Thanksgiving! And you still made such a fuss about coming along!"

Tawni shrugged. "Yeah, well, lots of family and food isn't really my thing, Sonny."

"You're going to love it," the brunette insisted.

"Whatever. If I gain any weight this weekend, I'll have you to blame."

"It's Thanksgiving! Everyone gains a couple pounds."

"I won't."

"With all the food we're going to have, it'll probably happen," Sonny shrugged happily. "But it's totally worth it."

Tawni glared at her.

"What? You're not going to get 'fat' from one day of pigging out, Tawni."

The blonde's expression was unconvinced, but she nodded all the same. And Sonny was too excited to notice any real discomfort in her girlfriend. It did not go unnoticed by Connie, however.

* * *

><p>It was mid-afternoon when they pulled into Sonny's parents' driveway. It had been a two hour drive from the airport and Tawni had managed to spend most of it asleep- it was easy enough to manage with all three Munroe's going on and on about various aspects of Wisconsin history, as if she cared to hear any of it.<p>

The house was quaint. Off-white with green shutters and an expansive front porch. Very... Midwestern. No where near up to Tawni Hart's normal vacation standards.

Connie and Rick were talking to some neighbors who had apparently been hovering around just waiting for their arrival. Sonny said something about the woman being her mother's best friend, but Tawni didn't really listen to the details.

"So..." the blonde started, though she was unsure of what to say. It was Wisconsin, after all, how much could their be to say about it?

"This is home," Sonny said with a smile, pulling the blonde's luggage from the trunk.

"Uh huh," Tawni nodded. "Can we go inside? I'm still freezing."

"Of course," the brunette lead the way up the porch steps to the front door and fiddled with her cluster of keys for the one she hadn't used in several months, the one painted black and white in a cow-skin pattern.

The first thing Tawni noticed upon entering the house was the warmth of it- and not just the literal temperature change from coming in out of the snow. Everything about the house was inviting and cozy and...just lived in. The hardwood floor in the entryway was heavily worn, the coats hanging on the rack by the door were hung their haphazardly above a pile of shoes, some of which had to have been Sonny's even though she hadn't been living their for over a year. There was a dog leash even though the family's beagle had passed away years before.

Sonny lead her into the living room, where a floral print couch and seemingly innumerable quilts and crocheted blankets were draped about. The carpet was old, but clean enough, and the curtains were oddly mismatched. There were books stacked on the coffee table, along with a half drunk mug of coffee and some potpourri.

"Dad clearly didn't clean up," Sonny mused. "Mom is not going to be thrilled, especially with everyone coming over tomorrow."

"How many people are coming, exactly?" Tawni asked, only half attempting to hide her dread.

"My grandmother, my Dad's sister's family, and my Mom's sister's family. That's all that I know of, at least. Lucy and her mother used to join us for holidays a lot of the time, because her Dad is in the military and they don't have any other family, but I don't know if they'll be hear this time. I mean, they're welcome, it's just..."

Tawni's attention drifted quickly from her girlfriend's topic of discussion and her eyes wandered over the room: the sheer number of knickknacks was overwhelming. Her parents' house was nothing like this. Everything was white on white and sterile and there were never any clothes or shoes or animals (or evidence of animals) strewn about. Clothes were in closets, on the bed if, and only if, you were debating outfits. Shoes likewise. Their coffee table was always organized just so with the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living on one end and People on the other. Tween Weekly appeared there on occasion, when Tawni had made the cover. There were blankets on the sofa, but they were neatly folded and not to be used. The whole place looked as though it had come straight out of a Pottery Barn magazine. God forbid it actually looked like someone lived there.

At some point, Tawni noticed Sonny had made her way into the kitchen and was fixing the blonde some hot cocoa. So she made her way over the fireplace mantle, where several picture frames rested. They were almost all of Sonny- as an infant to a child to the present day. Tawni reached up and took on of the frames down to examine the picture more closely- Sonny was sitting beside her mother on a picnic blanket, her father laying adjacent to them, laughing about something. It was clearly candid and so... _pleasant._

"Tawni?" Connie's voice broke her focus and she swiftly placed the photo back.

"Yes?"

"Is everything alright?"

"It's fine," the blonde replied flatly, crossing her arms. "Why?"

"You just seem a little more surly than usual."

"Surly?"

"Just... upset."

"Well, I didn't want to come here."

"I mean other than that," Connie pushed, failing to hide her exasperation.

"I'm fine."

"Alright, but you know-"

"I'm fine."

"Ok, just checking," Connie said, holding her hands up.

"Here, extra hot," Sonny joined them, handing Tawni her cocoa. "Once you're warmed up, I'll show you your room and then we can plan our desserts."

Tawni rolled her eyes,

Connie sighed. "And I can try and make this house look like it's not inhabited by a lonely solitary man."

"Hey, it's not that bad," Rick chimed.

"Everyone's coming over tomorrow, Rick!" Connie lead him into the kitchen, explaining everything wrong with the house as she went.

Tawni sipped at her cocoa hesitantly.

Sonny tilted her head. "Not hot enough?"

"It's fine."

"Are_ you_ OK?"

"I'm fine, what's with the third degree?" the blonde snapped.

"Sorry," Sonny said, throwing her hands up just like her mother had. "You just seem a little..."

"I'm fine."

"OK, well, I have a book with some recipes."

"I'll sit, over there," Tawni pointed toward the kitchen, at the bar in the center. "I'll watch you bake something."

"Tawni-"

"I'm not going to bake. Tawni Hart does not bake, Sonny. I'm here. Don't ask more from me."

"Fine," Sonny conceded. "You can still help me pick something though."

"Whatever you decide, you are heading to the grocery to get a few things for me first. I need to clean up this sty and make it look like civilized people live here, not frat boys."

"Oh come on now," Rick laughed.

"The tons of fun begins," Tawni muttered under her breath, taking another sip of her cocoa while Sonny's mother provided her with a ridiculously lengthy list.

* * *

><p>"You're right, Sonny. This is fun. I'm glad I flew two thousand miles to go grocery shopping," Tawni scoffed. "It's fantastic."<p>

"Will you just lighten up a bit?" Sonny asked, plucking apples off the shelf. "There's always a little work involved in holidays, Tawn. It'll be fun. Should we get a honey crisp apple too? I always like to throw one in with the granny smiths when I make apple pie."

The blonde shrugged. "Don't care."

Sonny rolled her eyes and skimmed the list. They'd crossed off most everything and the cart was jammed with enough food to feed a football team. Her mom had a tendency to overestimate thing sometimes.

It was nearly nine o'clock when they returned home and eleven by the time Connie and Rick went to bed, leaving the kitchen unoccupied for what Sonny termed a Pastry Party.

As promised, Tawni took her seat at the bar to watch, as uninterestedly as possible, while Sonny donned an obnoxious apron, cow-print of course, and set about rolling out dough for an apple pie and a pumpkin pie.

_This is going to be a long weekend_, Tawni thought.


	3. Bend Your Words Into A Prayer

**Author's Note:** Title from Devotchka's 'Blessing in Disguise'.

_Part II: Bend Your Words Into A Prayer_

By the time Sonny and Tawni made it to bed- in separate rooms, of course, per Connie's insistence- it was nearly four in the morning. Sonny had, in that time, attempted six different desserts, even managing to get the blonde to help with one of them. Only four of the desserts would make it to the dinner table, however, as Sonny had flat-out dropped her apple pie upon taking it out of the oven, much to Tawni's cruel pleasure, and Tawni had absentmindedly starting eating from the chocolate creme pie while Sonny's back was turned. Sonny would have been angrier, except the blonde honestly seemed bewildered at herself as well and it was after one at that point and they were both exhausted.

As a result, Sonny had decided to let her girlfriend sleep in late. The brunette was up with the dawn, helping her mother prepare before their relative arrived in the early afternoon. She was tired, but not tired enough to quell her holiday spirits.

"Ok, 3, 4, 8, 12, 14," Connie counted the chairs, making sure there were enough people. "I hope you don't mind Lucy and her mother joining us. We've had them over for Thanksgiving for years and I didn't really think about it before inviting them. It's just habit."

"No problem," Sonny smiled. "Lucy and I are OK. I mean, not like we used to be, obviously, but we're friends."

Connie nodded. "That's good."

"Why is this chocolate pie half-eaten?" Rick asked from the kitchen. "Did I miss the meal?"

"Um, long story," Sonny answered. "There's two pumpkin pies, a rum cake, and a cheesecake in the fridge in the garage though. We should be good. Aunt Fanny usually brings pecan pies too."

"Yeah, that's plenty," Connie agreed. "It's almost noon. Go wake up Tawni, will you? She'll want to be ready before everyone gets here, I imagine."

Sonny glanced at her watch and rushed past her mother and up the stairs.

Tawni was already awake, though still in bed. She was flipping through a family photo album that had been on her night-stand. Assorted happy memories of the Munroe clan and their perfect, all-American life.

Sonny knocked gently on the door before opening it, and Tawni hurriedly shut the album and tossed it back.

"Morning," the brunette smiled.

"Morning," Tawni replied, not half as jovial.

"It's almost noon," Sonny explained, gesturing toward the clock. "People are going to be here in a little less than two hours. So if you want to shower and get all ready on Tawni-time, you'll need to get started right now."

Nodding, Tawni climbed out of bed and began sifting through her luggage.

Sonny moved over behind her and slipped her arms around her. "Listen, I know you didn't really want to come here, but I'm glad you did and I want you to have a good time, but you're going to have to try a little too, you know."

Tawni sighed.

"Just a little, ok?" Sonny said, kissing her girlfriend lightly on the cheek. "Shower's down the hall, second door on the left."

* * *

><p>It was just before two when Tawni finally joined Sonny and her parents downstairs. They didn't see her though, and she hung back in the hallway, watching them. Rick was checking on the turkey, Sonny was lighting candles, and Connie was on the phone in a conversation that was growing increasingly tense.<p>

"That's unfair," she growled. "You think I like everything your- No - No - That isn't the point! We're family! I can't believe you- No, I expect this from her, and she's still coming anyway- Are you kidding me? What do you think their going to do? -That's ridiculous. You've known Sonny all her life, has she ever- hello? Hello?" Connie turned to Rick. "She hung up on me."

"Have I ever what?" Sonny asked, finishing up with the candles.

"Nothing," Connie insisted, shoving the phone against the receiver. "But Aunt Nancy isn't coming."

"Why not?" Sonny asked. "Is Sam sick again?"

"Hey," Tawni interrupted them, entering the room then.

"It's about time," Connie replied dryly.

"So, is Aunt Ninny someone I should be upset about not meeting?" Tawni asked, looking to Sonny, trying her best to sound sincere.

"It's Nancy," Sonny corrected.

"No," Connie said, answering the question."She isn't someone you'll care to meet."

"Sam and the kids are still coming, right?" Rick asked.

"No, they aren't."

"What? Why? We've never had a Thanksgiving without them," Sonny questioned, seeming truly put off at the notion.

"Things just didn't work out this year," Connie replied. "It would have been nice to know a little sooner. We could've gotten a smaller turkey with four less people."

Sonny still looked puzzled, but Connie's tone kept her from asking any more questions and a few minutes later, people started arriving.

Rick's brother, Bill, arrived with his fourteen year-old son, Caleb, who was newly vegetarian and hated Thanksgiving food for some inexplicable reason. Just moments later, Sonny's great aunt Fanny arrived, bearing her pecan pies.

They were all thrilled to see Sonny and happy to meet Tawni, who was, somewhat awkwardly, trying to politely engage in small talk with them.

"You are just stunning, m'dear!" Fanny said, looking the blonde up and down.

"Thanks," Tawni replied. "So, um... how long have you known Sonny?"

Fanny chuckled and proceeded to describe how Rick and Connie met, though Tawni was no longer listening. Her attention had drifted to the front door, where Sonny was greeting Lucy with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Tawni frowned, but waited for Fanny to wander off to talk with her great nephew before making her way over to where Sonny and Lucy stood.

"Hey Lulu," Tawni remarked coldly, slipping her arm around Sonny's waist.

"Hey Tawn!" Lucy exclaimed, blushing, presumably recalling the last time she'd seen the blonde. "Long time no see."

Tawni didn't reply, and only continued to stare Lucy down in a way that Sonny could only describe as threatening.

"Lucy, you know the drill," Sonny said with a smirk, pointing to the dish in the other girl's hand and gesturing toward the kitchen.

"Oh right," Lucy nodded, trotting off accordingly.

Sonny turned to face Tawni. "What was that?"

"What was what?"

"You trying to be all possessive and intimidating."

"I wasn't trying-"

"You're jealous of Lucy."

"I am not. That's ridiculous. But you didn't need to kiss her."

"Aww, I'm sorry," Sonny replied, beaming. "I didn't even think about it."

"Tawni Hart doesn't share."

"Of course not."

"But I'm not jealous."

Sonny laughed before pulling the blonde's lips to hers in a sweet kiss, which was promptly interrupted by Connie.

"Sonny! Grandma's just pulling in. No PDA!"

"I know," Sonny replied, stepping away from Tawni.

"This is the hater Grandma?"

"She's not a 'hater'... she's just stuck in her ways. She'll make a few comments here and there and that's it. Nothing we can't handle."

* * *

><p>Sonny's Grandmother was, more or less, cordial upon entering their house. Aside from a disapproving glance at the blonde, she hadn't said anything particularly offensive- at least as far as Sonny could tell. She didn't see or hear the brief heated exchange between her mother and grandmother and when the latter strolled into the kitchen, all smiles and holiday warmth, the rest of the family gathered around the island to catch up. Connie's mother had spent the last several years, following the death of her husband, to travel the world, and the stories she returned with always captivated the otherwise seemingly American-bound Munroes.<p>

Rick talked up a new cheese-based appetizer he'd made for the first time, to sound approval, and Sonny thought everything was going swimmingly. And when her grandmother began a story about her latest trip, to Paris, Sonny was too transfixed to notice either Tawni or her mother flee the scene.

On the far corner of the front porch, Connie was lighting a cigarette- something she almost never did, having quit after losing her father,a lifelong smoker, to lung cancer. That combined with a heartfelt letter from a then ten year-old Sonny pleading with her to stop the habit had hardened her resolve. But there were times when nothing else seemed to help. Neither Rick nor Sonny could understand that though.

"I didn't know you smoked," Tawni said, emerging from the shadows along the wall of the house.

"Jesus!" Connie gasped, whirling around. "You scared me half to death!"

"Sorry."

"I don't smoke," Connie said, holding the cigarette low, half attempting to keep it out of the blonde's line of sight.

Tawni raised an eyebrow. "Ok."

"Please don't tell Sonny. Or Rick. Or anyone. I don't smoke, except once in awhile. Barely ever. It's just...sometimes..."

"Alright," Tawni said, holding her hands up. "You know, Sonny rambles just like that when she's nervous."

"Well, we _are_ related."

The blonde laughed. "Yeah. I guess so. So, this is one of those times where nothing else will help?"

"My sister, Nancy. She's not here because she wasn't comfortable having her kids around Sonny. I mean, Sonny had babysat them a million times. They love her. They're nine and ten now. And suddenly Sonny is dangerous? I mean, that's what she said. _Dangerous_."

"Did they not know about Sonny?"

"...No. They didn't," Connie sighed. "Rick's relatives all know, but my side of the family is a little more...conservative. Sonny came out maybe six months before we left for Hollywood and we just never told anyone. It didn't come up, you know? Oh, who am I kidding? I stalled. I didn't want to tell them. I was afraid they'd react badly. And they have."

Tawni smirked. "Sonny dangerous... that is pretty funny, actually."

Connie nodded. "She's my sister and this is just... this is not how family behaves. And my mother is here, but she's... she's not happy about it. She knew about Sonny, but she never told anyone because it was..."

"Embarrassing?"

"Yeah, I guess that's her thinking. But she came anyway. Just so she could try and save the family's reputation, apparently."

"My being here can't help with that," Tawni said.

"No, not really," she agreed. "But tough luck for her. Sonny isn't the one I'm ashamed of."

"Anything I should do to minimize her hatred of me?"

"Ha, I doubt it. I don't think you can do anything about her. She's set in her ways."

"Oh well. I don't really care what she thinks of me anyway, to be honest."

Connie pulled her cigarette up and inhaled. "Why are you out here? I thought it was too cold for you?"

"It's too warm in there. Too much family."

"It's Thanksgiving. That's the point."

"I know. But it's not _my_ family. It's yours and Sonny's. I don't belong in there. I should be in California, with my family."

"I thought you weren't speaking with your parents?"Connie asked, crossing her arms and turning to face the blonde. "Isn't you father...?"

"In prison, yes," Tawni answered flatly. "And I'm not speaking with them. They want nothing to do with me. But...this...being here... it's like..." she hesitated. "I wish I _could_ talk to my mom. I wish she didn't care about...you know... the gay thing. She's my mother. She should love me, unconditionally. Like you do with Sonny. That's what a mom is supposed to do. And she doesn't and I don't care, really, because it's her loss. But still. It would be nice if she did. Being here just reminds me that she doesn't love me like that."

"My family isn't nearly as unconditional as you think."

"But you are."

"I try, but I haven't always made things easy," Connie conceded.

"You're here," Tawni shrugged. "My mom is two thousand miles away, drowning her sorrows in chardonnay. And even if I was in California, she still wouldn't want anything to do with me. There's always two thousand miles between us, one way or another."

Connie pressed her cigarette butt out on the underside of the railing and the two of them stood silently on the deck for several minutes before Sonny's mother nodded back toward the front door.

"We should probably get back inside. Sonny, at least, will notice if you're gone too long."

Tawni nodded, smiling weakly.

Connie slipped her arm around the blonde's shoulders. "For the record, Tawni, it_ is_ your mother's loss."


	4. New World

**Author's Note: **Chapter title from the Devotchka song 'New World'.** Happy Thanksgiving!  
><strong>

_Part III: New World (We Could Leave Right Now)_

Sonny had only just noticed her girlfriend's absence when the blonde returned to the kitchen alongside her mother. She slipped out of the small crowd gathered around the island and joined them. "There you are."

"We just stepped out for some fresh air," Connie explained before maneuvering her way over to the oven to glance at the roasting bird.

Sonny nodded, looking sideways at Tawni. "You ok?"

"How many times are you planning on asking me that?"

"Probably as many times as it takes for you to finally say 'no 'and tell me what's bothering you," the brunette quipped. "I know you didn't want to come here, but there's more to it than that. Even _you_ aren't that petty."

Tawni shrugged. "I don't know, I think I might be."

Sonny gave her a gentle, playful push in the arm before leaning up and kissing her on the cheek. "I don't think so."

"Hey now, none of that!" her grandma barked, suddenly calling all attention in the room to them.

"Sorry Grandma," Sonny replied, half-smiling.

"No you aren't, and that's the problem," her grandmother grumbled back.

"You don't need to apologize," Tawni muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Sonny to hear.

"Not now, Tawni," Sonny whispered back. "Just let it go."

"I don't think you realize what's at stake here, Sonny," her grandmother continued.

"Can we avoid the fire and brimstone talk for just one holiday?" Connie asked, hopefully, though knowingly in year the topic came up in some way or another- not necessarily homosexuality, but every year someone was doomed to hell and her mother had to spend an inordinate amount of time detailing why. It had never been directly pertinent to someone in the family though. In such cases, she typically waited to condemn them behind their backs.

"I'm surprised at you, Connie," she barked. "This is your daughter we're talking about. She's ruining this family."

"What?" Sonny's voice came out much meeker than she had intended.

"I think everyone just needs to relax," Aunt Fanny chimed in, though no one acknowledged her.

"Your own sister couldn't come because she knew she couldn't expose her children to that," the elderly woman continued. "And if it wasn't bad enough with her reputation alone, you bring this Hollywood trash along."

"Hey!" Tawni snapped.

"You shut it, you don't belong here at all!"

"Mom, please," Connie put her hand on her mother's shoulder. "Let's just eat, OK?"

Sonny blinked her eyes several times, hard, trying to hold back burning tears. "That's why Nancy isn't here? Because she doesn't want her kids around me?"

"Or your whore," her grandmother hissed.

"Ok, I think everyone needs to simmer down," Rick said, raising his hands to no avail.

"You were dating that nice boy, Chad Dylan Cooper, was it?" her grandmother's voice softened a little, and she took a different approach. "You two would have made a lovely couple and I think you gave up on him too soon, Sonny. I understand if you're confused. This wench has probably dug her long scraggily claws in deep, but that doesn't mean it's too late for you."

"Scraggly claws? I got a manicure two days ago!" Tawni snapped, glancing down at her hand, fingers splayed. "They still look fabulous."

"Tawni didn't 'dig her claws into me'," Sonny replied, throwing in air quotes and furrowing her brow as anger started to overpower the hurt she was feeling.

"Well, there was that one time, actually..."

"Not now!"

"We are a good family. An upstanding family. We don't cheat, we don't steal, we don't lie," her grandma explained. "I knew sending you out to Hollywood was risky, but your mother wouldn't listen."

"Lucy was my first girlfriend, Grandma," Sonny stated firmly, crossing her arms and nodding toward the other girl, who had just shoved a handful of candied walnuts in her mouth and was started to see everyone's eyes on her. "And that was before Hollywood. That was all home-grown."

"Yeah, and she's like a chevy pickup and I'm a Jag. Can you say UPGRADE?," Tawni exclaimed.

"Hey!" Lucy protested through her mouthful of walnuts.

"Tawni, honey, you're not helping I don't think," Fanny interjected.

"This family was fine until you had to go turn dyke on us, and now look at what's happening!"

"What's happening? You and Nancy are being ridiculous, that's all that's happening," Connie growled, slamming her hand down on the countertop. "And if you don't quit insulting my daughter in my home, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"I'm not insulting Sonny, I'm insulting the bitch she brought here."

"You have no right to talk about her like that!" Sonny venomously spat back.

"It's Thanksgiving, it's a time to spend with family. She's not family. Just because her own family obviously doesn't want her, doesn't mean we need to take her in!

Tawni took a step back at that, and decided it would be another good time to get some fresh air.

Meanwhile, Sonny's grandmother railed on. "Not when she's devoted her life to poisoning the youth of America!"

"Poisoning the youth- are you kidding me?" Sonny responded, unable to hide the shock in her voice. This was just getting ridiculous.

Once on the front porch, Tawni found herself wanting to cry. She did her best to remain stoic, however. Sonny's grandmother's opinion of her didn't matter to her, after all. But the fact that what she'd said was true mattered more than she wished it would. She could still hear the shouting inside, though she could not make out the words for the buffer of the walls.

She stepped off the porch and began to trudge through ankle-deep snow in no particular direction, just feeling an overwhelming urge to get as far away from that house as possible. And somewhere, deep inside, she felt what she thought might be the hints of disappointment. As though underneath it all, she had actually, possibly had some desire for the holiday to go well, for it to be one of those family dinners like in the movies, like she had never experienced.

And following the disappointment, was a little guilt it seemed, that she had ruined the holiday that Sonny was so excited for. In the back of her mind, she knew she hadn't been the one to ruin the day, but she couldn't help but feel responsible all the same- which was exceptionally frustrating considering she wasn't used to caring much about how her actions or words or presence could adversely affect others. But this was Sonny and she was different, right? Charlie always stressed how important it was to talk through her feelings, and sometimes it helped, but most of the time, Tawni couldn't seem to comprehend her own feelings well enough to discuss them with anyone else. That she wanted to partake in a holiday devoted to stuffing your face was beyond stupid and the completely unwarranted feeling of guilt was simply unfathomable. Besides, she hadn't wanted to come at all. She made that very clear to Sonny. But still. There was that twinge of guilt. She crossed her arms tightly in front of her and continued aimlessly wading through the deepening snow.

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Rick bellowed, finally at his wit's end. Both his wife and his daughter were in tears, his sister's family was glaringly uncomfortable, and Lucy was rapidly consuming all the walnuts he'd made.

Connie's mother seemed to ignore him entirely and simply took a seat at the table. "This is what a family dinner is for us now?" she lamented, as though she was in no way responsible for the shouting match that had just taken place.

Sonny threw her hands up in the air, turning to apologize to Tawni only to realize the blonde wasn't there. Without another word she hurried out of the room and, noticing the absence of Tawni's boxy snow coat on the rack, went out through the front door. Her girlfriend wasn't in sight, but a trail of shoe-prints leading away from the house were all Sonny needed to see.

Sonny blinked again, trying to push back the tears. This whole thing had been a catastrophe. Maybe Tawni was right. They should have just gone on a cruise or to Paris or whatever for the weekend. Hell, she could've persuaded Marshall to let her come back on Monday and Tawni's movie didn't started filming until Monday afternoon. It would've been so much easier than this mess of a holiday trip. She took a deep breath then, realizing that the holiday was not over and even if it had started poorly, there was no reason it had to end that way. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and logged online.

Inside, Connie folded her arms bitterly and glared at her mother. "Happy?"

Several minutes of awkward conversation and lengthy silences followed, before Caleb's phone buzzed in his hand and he glanced down at the screen to find a text message from his cousin.

_Distract everyone. Get them all out of the kitchen for at least 5 min._

He was perplexed, but also terribly bored and hadn't wanted to come since he hated Thanksgiving food, which kind of made the holiday a pain, and so he decided to play along. Sonny had always been a favorite cousin of his and she was obviously having a very bad day.

"I'm gonna go pee," he announced, before slipping out of the room and down the hall to the restroom. After a few seconds, he stated screaming at the top of his lungs and beating on the walls. The commotion brought all the adults rushing to see what was wrong.

Sonny hurried back inside at the sound of Caleb's apparent distraction and slipped into the garage, grabbing a large cooler. She dragged it back into the now-empty kitchen and grabbed a couple oven mitts. Glancing over her shoulder briefly, she snatched the whole turkey from it's place atop the counter and set it in the cooler, tilting it to make it fit. Then she grabbed the pot of potatoes and set them inside as well. She threw in some silverware and a few bread rolls, grabbed the bowl of stuffing and one of her pumpkin pies and managed to fit it all in the cooler. She dragged it back out into the garage and, with great effort, lifted it into the back of her Dad's jeep. She ran back inside, grabbed the keys off the key-hook and her coat and purse off the rack and climbed into the driver's seat.

_Thanks_, she texted him before pulling out into the driveway, and he quickly stopped his tantrum and stepped back out of the bathroom, greeting the frenzied adults with a smile. "What's up?"

Tawni had managed to walk just over a mile from the house in the short time she'd been gone and her hands and feet were freezing, but she didn't want to go back, so she kept marching into nowhere.

Sonny caught up to her quickly, pulling up alongside of her and rolling the window down. "Tawni, get in!"

Tawni was slightly startled to see Sonny in the jeep. "...No."

"Come on, you're freezing."

"Go home, Sonny."

"Tawni, I'm sorry about all of that. I had no idea she was going to go off like that, she's never-"

"I didn't want to come here at all, Sonny," Tawni interrupted, stopping and stepping over to the car window. "I'm sorry I ruined your holiday, I really am. I don't know why I am, but I am. But I told you this would be a disaster and I don't want to go back there. I want to go back even less than I wanted to come in the first place and I really, really didn't want to come."

"I know that, just get in the car," Sonny nodded. "We won't go back, I promise."

Tawni tilted her head to the side. "Where are we going then?"

"Just get in."

"Why should I-?"

"You're shivering, that's why!"

Tawni frowned, but her chattering teeth were making it hard to argue. She pulled open the door and climbed inside.

Sonny cranked the heat and handed Tawni a pair of gloves from the center compartment before concentrating on her driving.

It was a half hour before Tawni noticed the cooler in the back and asked about it. Sonny said nothing and the blonde wasn't interested enough to ask again. It was another fifteen minutes before Tawni finally asked again where they were headed.

"Airport," Sonny replied, matter-of-factly.

"All of my things are still at your house."

"Don't worry about it."

"Your grandma might set my luggage on fire."

"Better than setting you on fire, though," Sonny offered, half-grinning.

Tawni didn't laugh. But a moment later, her eyes widened slightly and she glanced over her should at the cooler again. "Your grandma's not...like... in the cooler, is she?"

"No!" Sonny exclaimed.

Tawni let out a sigh of relief.

"I promised you a fun Thanksgiving," Sonny explained. "And, so far, this has been an epic fail."

Tawni nodded in wordless agreement.

"I'm a woman of my word," Sonny insisted.

"Please don't say that," Tawni whined. "I don't want you to try and make up for this. It always gets worse when you try and fix things, Sonny. Just... don't."

"Relax, it'll be fun."

"No it won't."

"Just wait," Sonny said, pulling into the airport parking garage.

Once parked, Sonny clambered over the center console and into the back seat. "Come here."

Tawni hesitated, then reluctantly made her way into the back as well.

Sonny smiled at her.

"What?"

The brunette reached over the backseat and opened the cooler. "Happy Thanksgiving!"

"What?" Tawni repeated.

Sonny pulled her sleeves down over her hands to use in place of oven mitts as she manuevered the surprisingly hot turkey platter over the backseat and setting it down between them.

"You stole your family's turkey?"

"And mashed potatoes, stuffing, bread, and pumpkin pie," Sonny smiled proudly.

Tawni looked puzzled still, but a slightly smile had formed on her lips. "How did you even manage-?"

"Well, I know it's not something we Munroes do," Sonny went on. "Stealing, I mean. And general deviant behavior, apparently. But I decided that since I'm already damned, might as well go all out, right?"

"And your idea of 'going all out' is stealing a turkey?"

Sonny handed her a fork. "Just eat, will you? While it's still warm."

Tawni jabbed at the giant roasted bird, tearing off a juicy piece of breast before pausing again. "Wait."

"What?" Sonny asked. "I know this isn't how you imagined it, but it's the best I could do, alright?"

"Aren't you supposed to give thanks or something, though?" the blonde asked, casually.

"Well, yeah."

"What are you thankful for, Sonny?"

Sonny mused a moment. "That my grandma didn't murder us seems like a good one."

Tawni smiled.

"And you?"

The blonde furrowed her brow.

"Let me guess," Sonny contemplated. "You're thankful for Coco Moco Coco? And Louis Vitton? Burberry? Mercedes? Porsche?"

"You."

"You what?"

"I'm thankful for_ you_," Tawni elaborated.

Sonny blushed. "That means you don't completely hate me for this whole thing?"

"I couldn't hate you if I tried, Sonny," Tawni said, her voice much quieter than it had been before. "You never give up. I really love... that. About you."

Sonny grinned. "I'm thankful for you too, Tawni."

Tawni nodded. "I'm pretty thankful for those other things you mentioned too, though."

"Of course," Sonny nodded. "Now, let's eat!"

"One more thing..."

"What?"

"Why the airport parking garage? Was there really nowhere closer?"

"This will make it easier."

"Make what easier?"

"There's a red-eye flight leaving for Paris in two and a half hours."

* * *

><p>The end. (Of <em>this<em> story, but certainly not Sonny and Tawni's story).


End file.
